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Random Acts of Fire-Lizards


Date:  February 6, 2003
Places:  Healer Hall's Courtyard, Herb Garden, and Kitchens
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  Though this log was actually taken from Kisai's 
perspective, I'm posting it because it's almost as much a Kassi-log as
a Kiss-log; the reason I didn't log Kassi's version is that I ended up
sending her out of the room towards the end of this to spare myself 
the joys of two alts in the same scene.  In this one, Kassi takes Kiss
along with her to Healer Hall on a trip to visit her mints, but a 
meeting with Arria throws an unexpected wrench in that plan and they 
instead end up present for the Hatching of a few fire-lizard eggs.  
Kassima, for once, is not the one who comes home with a new mouth to 
feed.

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The Log:


You check to make sure the courtyard is clear then descend to Healer Hall.

<*> Arria comes into the courtyard from the road.

<*> Arria blinks at the dragon she clearly didn't expect to see. Swallowing
and bobbing a polite bow as she rushes past.

Kassima slides down from Lysseth's neckridges to land beside her with ease.
Lysseth cocks her head at her rider, rumbling quietly as Kassi gives her
eyeridges a grateful scratching.

<*> Lysseth circles in to a slow, careful landing, her lack of acrobatics
and lack of speed more likely for her passenger's sake than her rider's:
"Is that the plant place, Mum?" Kisai wants to know, pointing in the
direction of the Herb Garden, as Kassi works on unbuckling the straps.
"Aye, kit, and we'll see it later so you can visit the mint. Promise.
Though I still think you're going t'be disappointed; it doesn't exactly do
aught that *interesting*...."

You climb down to the ground with the help of Lysseth's riding straps,
grateful to be on the firm ground once more. Lysseth eyes you, rumbling,
then turns her attention elsewhere.


Kisai:
	Long, sooty lashes shield this small girl's canted eyes; narrow 
eyebrows lend expression to her still-plump face, and the fine, dark hair 
that tumbles down her back with only a passing hint of curl frames a 
complexion that glows with rosy health. Her dark-rimmed turquoise irises are 
all the more startling set thus. Between those bright, always-curious eyes 
and the oft-seen smile that shows off the teeth that have finally finished 
coming in, it wouldn't require a loving parental eye to find something 
appealing about Kiss anymore.
	At the moment, Kisai is wearing a sky blue sweater that's far and away 
too large for her. Its slightly tattered cuffs envelop her small hands, and 
the worn hem nearly comes down to her knees--still, she seems to like it, 
and it certainly must help keep her warm in these Telgar winters. Her wool
pants are a dusky shade of black to match her shoes, and fit her much
better. A silver and amethyst necklace glitters at her neck, and every now
and then a glint of the same bright metal can be seen beneath the edge of
her right sleeve. Those experienced with children might guess her to be
around 7 Turns, 4 months, and 3 days old.


Arria stops and watches the girl, clearly amazed that she was allowed on a
dragon!

Lysseth rumbles cordially enough to the young woman, furling her wings in
tightly to leave plenty of room in the Courtyard for passage. "And you just
think that's your proper due, don't you," Kassi asks her green with droll
humor, receiving a delicate snort in reply. For her part, Kisai slides down
with a bit of help from her mother, and immediately turns towards the
gardens; the watching girl gets her attention however, and she offers over
an enthusiastic wave. "Hihihi!"

Arria smiles quickly,"Hi! Welcome to the Healer hall...um, my duty to the
weyr." she stammers, trying _so_ hard to be grown-up sounding.

"Duties to Healer Hall and her Masters," Kisai replies with enough
politeness and stilted formality in her tone to suggest this is something
learned by rote rather than something which comes naturally yet. Kassi's
echoed, amiable, "Duties, a'course," is rather more natural sounding.
"Would you believe, oft as I've visited, this is the first time we've run
into a Healer in the Courtyard? I hope we're nay being a bother. Kiss
wanted t'see the plants, and I decided t'indulge her, spoiled brat though
she is already." At this, naturally enough, Kiss makes a face.

Arria nods,"Of course, ma'am, but I'm not a healer. Grandmother says that
I'm to be a harper. Would you like to see the garden? My grandmother might
be there. She's a healer, Ma'am. One of the masters." she states proudly.

Arria leads the way through the hedge into the garden.

Arria walks north into the herb garden.

Kassima walks north into the herb garden.

You head north into the Herb Garden.

Arria carefully sets her feet on the path, pointing at a few flowering
plants she knows the names of,"Perhaps grandmother is in the kitchen...I
smelled fresh muffins brfore and Grandmother never misses a fresh bake.

Kassima follows after, leading Kisai by the hand--or maybe holding on to
the child to ensure she won't run off, come to that. She's making a face of
her own. "Ach, please, I'm just Kassima; Kassi if'n you'd rather, but never
ma'am. This evil impling spawn of the forces of darkness with me is called
Kisai." At which point Kiss pipes up with, "I am *nay* the spawn of the
forces of darkness!" This gets her her hair touselled by her mother. Poor
child. "Do *you* want t'be a Harper?" Kassima inquires, curious. "It sounds
like the sort of thing you should be deciding. But who is your grandmother,
then? Oh, Faranth, you've mentioned muffins; now there'll be nay holding
Kiss down--" Indeed, the seven-Turn-old looks decidedly interested in
muffins. Who could blame her?

Arria smiles at the younger girl,"Healer muffins are the best...they know
which herbs are the best for baking, not just for healing. " she says,
leading the way. "Oh I like to sing and the gitar is my favorite thing to
play. Besides, the Halls are right close by...Grandmother would be lonely
without me." she states honestly.

Arria leads past the trellis into the kitchens.

Arria goes through the kitchen door in the southwest corner of the garden.

Kassima goes through the kitchen door in the southwest corner of the garden.

You pass through the small door in the southwest corner of the garden, into
the busy Hall kitchens.

Kisai asks rather hopefully, "Do they have any with fruit bits in 'em?
Berries maybe? I like blueberries a lot, only Mum says if'n I eat too many
my teeth will turn purple forever." This doesn't keep her from following,
however, nor Kassi from keeping pace with a decidedly long-suffering
expression.

Kassima does note, though, once inside, "The gitar's a lovely instrument; I
play the pipes, m'self, and sing a bit. But I'm nay Harper. Good of you,
'tis, t'be keeping your Grandmum company so."

Arria speaks quietly to one of the cooks, the words 'dragonrider' and
'hospitality' are clearly audible. She returns with a tray laden with fresh
muffins and a pitcher of redfruit juice. "Fresh from the oven!" she giggles
as she serves.

Kassima has to grin at the tray, and has the manners to say, "Thankee,
lass," before taking anything--which Kiss doesn't, quite; her thanks,
though heartfelt and enthusiastic, comes *after* she's nabbed herself a
muffin of her very own. "We appreciate Healer's hospitality very much.
Don't make a mess, now," Kassi chides her daughter; Kiss just rolls her
eyes and takes a bite, saying afterwards, "Ooh, this *is* really good!"

Edria rocks contently by the fire, a mug of klah close at hand. The
children's voices draw her attention like a magnet,"Arria child, be a dear
and turn the egg basket. It's much to heavy for me, child. And I've been
seeing some wiggles, even with these old eyes." she cackles.

Arria manuevers a muffin bite into her cheek,"Do you think they'll hatch
soon?" she asks, shifting the basket on the hearth. "Could your dragon
tell?" she asks pointedly, her manners overcome by curiousity.

Kassima and Kisai both automatically turn their attention towards the new
voice, the child pausing in chewing her muffin a moment. Since Kiss's mouth
is full, Kassi takes on the job of greeting, her voice automatically
respectful: "G'deve t'you, Master; our duties as ever t'your Hall. Egg
basket? Oh, shells. I don't know if'n Lysseth would deign t'notice, but the
fair might." Indeed, the blue on her right shoulder sits up and to
attention, offering a questioning sort of hum that gets an answer from the
gold on the left, and the multiple blues and greens who followed Kassi in.
Meanwhile, Kisai's eyes light up, even over the muffin. The girl swallows
quickly so she can ask, "Are those *fire-lizard* eggs?"

Arria nods to the girl,"Sure are. My grandmother's gold laid them over
several days. But lucky she didn't clutch 'em in the garden, or they'd have
been lost for sure. Don't they look funny? Like herbs and stuff." she waves
Kisai in for a closer look.

Kisai abandons her mother's side lickety split to get a better look at the
eggs, you betcha. "I haven't seen eggs real close before," she confides in
a child's too-loud whisper. "Mum's got lots of fire-lizards, but the greens
always lay somewhere *weird* she says. I think they're pretty! Lots of
green, and I have to think green's a good color, or Lysseth would snort at
me."

Little wiggles occasionally sift the basket sands, followed by silence.

Arria laughs,"Wanna hold one? They're plenty hard so holding doesn't hurt
them." she says with wisdom of ancients. She hands a splotchy purple to Kasia.

Edria looks on with amusement at the roles of children.

"*Could* I?" Kisai asks, enchanted. But the action answers her question,
and she's quick to cram that last bite of muffin into her mouth so her
hands are free to take the egg. "Oooh... wow, it's really warm! Look, Mum!"
Kassi comes over to duly admire the eggs too, looking at once fond and
wryly amused. "Aye, I can see, kit. Lots of purple on it, hey?"

The green and purple egg gives a gentle bump and a small crack appears.

Kisai's eyes widen, a lot, so that the circle of dark blue around the
turquoise is fully visible. "It *moved*! There's a crack in it! I didn't do
that, did I? I wouldn't hurt it, honest I wouldn't!"

Arria's eyes get round,"Shells! It's got a crack!" Knowing the way, she
gets a scrap bowl from the back cold room.

"I don't think you did aught t'hurt it," Kassima ruefully assures her
youngest with a slight, rather amused headshake. "Faranth on a stick...
you'd best get some of that meat if you want t'keep holding the egg, m'dear."

Edria continues rocking,"All babies know when to arrive, child. It would
appear that this one has chosen now." she waves a hand of
encouragement,"Sit down so nothing is dropped, child."

Kisai throws a glance up first at her mother, then at Edria, as if in
question, but the appearance of the scrap bowl serves her personal dilemma
and she reaches in to fish out a fistful of meat. "It's okay for me to hold
it? The baby 'lizard won't mind?" she questions, while sitting down very,
very carefully indeed.

Arria quickly sets the scrap bowl on the floor,"You've got all the luck! A
dragon ride and a cracking egg!"

Edria nods sagely,"Hold it gently, child. Loving hands."

The Helmet Purple egg gives another bump and wiggle, the crack widening...

"Oh, I ride on Lysseth all the time, 'cause she's Mum's," Kisai answers, a
bit distractedly with most of her wide-eyed attention on that egg.
"Sometimes on Tear too--he's Papa's, only he's at High Reaches most of the
time 'cause he's gonna have babies... Tear, that is, nay Papa." She doesn't
seem to realize that she's rambling. The handful of meat gets set on her
knee so she can cup the egg with both hands, watching almost breathlessly.

Helmet Purple Egg Timid taps finally finish in a flurry of shards as a
bronze hatchling emerges.


Slow to make his entrance, this bronze is perfect and poised. His hide
tends towards a reddish-bronze as he extends his wings, almost hiding his
eyes. A charming patch of copper tops this hatchling's headknobs, giving
the aconite hatchling a hint of a hat.


Kassima watches the spectacle with obvious amusement, not even trying to
hide it with the children's attention elsewhere occupied. "Ohhh," she
murmurs as the little bronze appears. "He's lovely. And nay green." Is that
relief in her voice? Probably.

Edria's eyes widen at the metallic hatchling,"Not a green, but change is
good."

Kisai doesn't seem to take any notice of her mother right now, not with a
little bronze Hatching right in her hands. "Oh. *Oh*. Oh, wow," she sighs,
clearly enchanted. "Oh, wow, you're *beautiful*. Are you hungry? I have
meat...." One small hand is carefully disengaged so she can reach for some
of that meat to offer him.

Arria claps her hands,"Feed him now...he's so little...he fits right in
your hand!"

"And a bronze won't get *proddy*," Kassi agrees with a quick grin. "So nay
green is fine by me."

Tarayna comes in through the swinging doors from the main hallway.

Bashful Bronze raises his wings, shifting his balance until his tail is all
that's keeping him upright. He is quick to take the offered food, creeling
for more.

Most of the other eggs are quiet, but the yellow one continues to twitch.

Tarayna comes into the kitchen, somewhat awkwardly, as she's carrying a
tray. Lots of crumbs, a few napkins, stacked mugs and what looks to be an
empty klah pot - the girl must be on Lounge Snacks duty today.

Kisai certainly seems willing to follow this instruction if the little
bronze will let her. "Ooh, don't *fall*, bronze! You don't want to do that.
Just stay there and I'll feed you all you want, I promise; see?" She
separates a couple of smaller bits of meat from the tangle of scraps for
him. Probably she'd call a greeting to Tarayna, but her attention's
entirely on the hatchling in her hands.

Bashful Bronze wraps his tail around Kisai's wrist and grabs another
mouthful of meat.

Kassima, likewise, is watching Kisai more than anything else, murmuring
encouragement to the seven-Turn-old: "That's good, Kiss, y'don't want
t'give him a piece so big he'll choke. He likes it, hear how he's
creeling?" Kyril and Zabreneva offer warbles of encouragement from her
shoulders. Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, the greenrider
glances over and spots Tarayna. "G'deve and g'day," she calls over in
salutation, with something of an amiable wave.

The Barbed Yellow egg begins to rock constantlyin the warm sands.

"That's better," Kisai informs the little bronze. "Here, eat more, but
don't forget to chew it, okay? Wow, you're so *soft*... you're as soft as
Lyss even."

Arria waves to the apprentice,"Come look! Some are hatching!"

Bashful Bronze Hatchling stumbles towards Kisai.

The Barbed Yellow egg begins to crack, a poking nose splitting the shell.

Tarayna is probably not supposed to just abandon the tray, but that's what
she does. It gets set by the sinks, forgotten in curiosity about the
activity by the hearth. "Hatching?" the plain girl asks, coming closer.
"Oh-wow!" What else does one say, after all? But at least she remembers her
manners: "Um. Healer's duties to Telgar," is offered to Kassi, half as a
question.

Barbed Yellow Egg cracking and spinning and finally splitting, a frustrated
little green spills out of the egg.


This mint green firelizard seems disgruntled from her first step outside
the egg. First egg confinment and then ravenous hunger have put this dainty
green in a foul mood. She outstretches her perfectly formed wings to reveal
a curious swirl of white on the left.


The bowl of scraps remains on the floor within easy reach.

Tarayna's quick, perhaps having had to contend with other apprentices, or
prior to that, siblings, has made sure of this. She's holding out a scrap
of meat, even before she asks, "Can I?"

Kisai gives another sigh, this one of complete wonder and contentment, and
tugs another few scraps from the bowl even as she gathers her new friend in
close. "You'll have t'think of a good name for him," Kassi murmurs to her
daughter, who's paying her no mind at all. "Duties back to Healer and her
Masters, a'course. Going t'try your luck? Kiss, don't hog all the scraps
now, there's a pretty green who'll need some of 'em."

Edria nods<"Go and feed them, child. Poor things are starving and I'm much
to old to impress them myself."

The green hatchling snatches the meat from the outstrethced fingers, nearly
chomping the finger as well!

Arria picks up some meat and sets it on the sand,"Good thing we're near the
infirmary if she's gonna bite!"

Kassima whistles softly at the near-miss. "Poor, wee hungry thing. Best
watch your fingers, lass."

Tarayna's perhaps a little over-enthusiastic at first in her offering of
meat, but the same could, apparently, be said of the hatchling. Quickly,
the girl snatches back her fingers, but a quick inspection shows them to be
intact. The elderly Apprentice Master is given a quick, stunned glance,
before another bit of meat is offered. "Hungry! No kidding! Here you go,
little one, another bit?"

The rest of the eggs sit quietly inthe hot sand.

The Grouchy Green Hatchling snatches another bite, creeling for more and
hop-flapping towards the source.

Tarayna might be new to this activity, but she catches on quickly. Soon,
she's got a handful of meat bits in one hand, easier to transfer to the
other for the one-by-one offering, tempting the green closer. "Lookit that
white swirl," she observes, not looking around at anything but the
hatchling. "C'mere, have some more? Lots for you."

"I daresay you've got her attention," Kassima observes, grinning at the
Apprentice. "Felicitations if'n she takes t'you--or," she teases,
"condolences, whichever's more appropriate with such nimble teeth. C'mere,
Kiss, come sit by me?" The little girl looks up in startlement, but
obediantly scoots back towards her mother while continuing to croon
nonsense to her little bronze.

The green gobbles the meat, knowing to go for the dangling meat, not the
pink delivery service.

Grouchy Green Hatchling stumbles towards Tarayna.

Arria beams at the new matching,"Grandmother, I've gotta scoot for gitar
class. Will you send Thyme if any more eggs crack?" she asks, making for
the door.

Edria nods,"of course, child. Off you go now." she says, settling back in
her chair.

Arria passes through the double doors to the main hallway.

Edria finishes her klah and nods off in her rocker, so nice and warm by the
hearth.

Tarayna probably would give the departing girl a wave, but it would've been
a meaty one. And would likely risk her fingers. Slowly, she coaxes the
little green closer and closer, until she's got it in one hand, and the
meat bowl close by for a source.

Kassima waves after the departing girl, calling, "G'luck with the class!"
after her. But, "Missed again, methinks," she murmurs to herself. "Always
the way... well, lass, felicitations t'you indeed."

Tarayna's finally able to look up from her task, as the hatchling's hunger
eases. Uncertain perhaps as to whether the felicitations are given to the
rider's child or herself, she smiles nonetheless. "That's your first, too?"
she asks the child.

With her tiny bronze finally sated and curling up on her wrist to sleep,
Kisai's free to look up herself, offering a sunny smile that still has a
touch of wonder to it. "Oh, aye, I've never gotten to be around hatching
ones before. I always *wanted* to see 'em hatch though. Now I have. Isn't
he pretty?" She brandishes her wrist and its living adornment as much as
she can without unduly disturbing him, though he chirrups drowsily anyway.
Manners belatedly kick in: "Yours is real pretty, too."

Tarayna leaves the meat-bowl, cradling her little green a little awkwardly
- like a precious object that might go *poof* at any minute. Nevermind that
the firelizard's so stuffed she probably couldn't fly if she tried. "I've
never seen'em hatch, either," she says, giving Kassi a smile that's a
little on the shy side. Kids, she can handle. Wingleaders? That's
debatable. "He's real pretty, yeah. What're you gonna name him?"

Kassima matches the smile with one that's entirely good-natured, though;
maybe even a touch reassuring, or at least meant to be. "Methinks I'll head
out to the Garden t'check on m'mints. Come out and meet me when you're
ready, love, hey? And for Faranth's flaming sake, *don't* eat all the
muffins." This earns her an innocently bewildered expression from Kisai.
With another quick grin for both young women, the greenrider says, "Duties
again and all that, and congrats," before she excuses herself to head for
the herb gardens. Kiss waves distractedly after her mother. "I don't know
yet," she confesses, peering at the tiny 'lizard. "I want to name him
something *unusual*. He's kind of red, so I could call him Copper, 'cept I
bet there's a lot of Coppers and he might get confused. That'd be bad. What
about yours?"

Kassima passes through the door that leads to the garden.

The little green hatchling falls asleep, sprawled out in Tarayna's palm.
"Oh - uh - bye?" The girl calls after Kassi. "You like muffins? We've got
some ... Copper? Yeah, might be lots of those. I dunno 'bout mine. Some
sort of herb, I think. We were supposed to be studying Adonis today, but I
don't think that'll fit. I'm Tarayna, by the way."

"Don't mind Mum. Healers make her nervous," Kisai confides, with all the
artlessness of a small child who'll probably get reminded What We Do Not
Tell People About Our Mothers later. "She told me she always stays out in
the Garden when she comes here. 'Cept a nice girl was here who said there'd
be muffins." She waves over towards the tray, her eyes lingering on it; now
that her bronze is asleep, muffins seem very interesting again. "'Fraid I
don't know any herbs. Maybe mint? Only there's lots of Mints too,
probably... oh, I'm Kisai! Nice to meet you and stuff."

Tarayna stands up a little straighter. She's new here, but enough of a
Healer to be counted as one! "Well, have a muffin, then, Kisai. There's
butter, too..." she's about to assist, when her name is called from the
hallway. "Shards! I was s'posed to bring another pot of klah!" Sleeping
firelizard in one hand, the girl grabs a potholder with the other, and uses
that to protect her hand from the heat of the fresh pot. "Coming!" A moment
later, she's calling, "Bye!" over her shoulder, and is gone.